Seven out of ten kids go to day care

Close to 70 percent of children in Belgium between three months and three years of age attends day care. That can be formal day care in a nursery or under the supervision of professional child minders, or informal, under relatives’ care. The figure has remained stable since 2009, but the choice of formal childcare, especially nurseries, is on the rise, according to a survey conducted by Kind & Gezin.

Of the parents who use child care, 83 percent opts for formal childcare (76 percent in 2009). This increase comes at the cost of informal care, because grandparents are less often selected to watch their grandchildren. The fact that many grandparents still work themselves is the biggest reason for this change, according to the survey.

The work intensity of the mothers has also increased, reflected in the duration of care in nurseries: the number of full-time day care enrollments has risen from 26.6 percent in 2009 to 31.7 percent now.